>> it was on the train to new york city at that point, and i was trying to check in through social media, and i found through one of my friends a rest in peace mrs. hochsprung -- laffertiy as we knew her when we were in middle school before she was married, but that's when i found out that she was one of the victims of the tragedy. >> and a vice principal in a middle school might not be the most connected to students. what was your connection to her? >> yeah. at first i was scared of her because she was intimidating. >> uh-huh. she was a real authority figure? >> yes, she was, especially for someone so young. but when i got to know her and her husband, they were loving. they just cared about each and every student. for me they pushed me to continue to work hard and focus on my studies and, you know, i think they really helped get me focused and for the next, you know, four years in high school and four years in college and two years in grad school after that. >> where do you think your education would have gone without her influence? >> well, it's tough to say because i had so many great